


just the three of us

by niallcentric



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niallcentric/pseuds/niallcentric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With them, he felt wanted. Needed. They looked at him and he was wonderful. And he was sure they felt the exact same way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	just the three of us

**Author's Note:**

> This pretty much wrote itself. It's really fluffy Nourry that's actually mostly Nouis with some Narry and tiny bit of Larry. I say it's mostly Nouis because it was written in Louis' POV. Originally I wanted it to be about how much Louis and Harry love Niall but it turned into this pointless thing instead. Haha hope you enjoy!

Louis ran a finger over his bottom lip and leaned further into the soft cushions of the couch. There was a faint murmuring to his left and he had a feeling Zayn was ranting on about something he should’ve been paying attention to but his mind was elsewhere. More specifically, his attention was focused on an entirely different person. A blonde one, at that.

He tilted his head and watched as Niall chatted merrily with an interviewer, skin wrinkling by his eyes as he smiled and his cheeks flushing every time he laughed. The rosy tint would linger for a few seconds before fading into a pale white. Louis’ favorite was when he’d laugh so hard his eyes would crinkle shut and he’d toss his head back, the sound of his laughter bringing a smile to Louis’ face without even meaning to. A laugh like that was usually only caused by Louis himself and damn it if he didn’t feel a little proud.

A fingertip stroked his neck and Louis jumped, tearing his eyes away from the blonde to glance behind him. Harry smiled knowingly down at him and tapped his cheek gently before wandering around the couch to squeeze himself between Louis and Zayn, effectively ending the dark-haired boy’s tirade who began telling Harry off for interrupting his (one-sided) conversation with Louis.

Louis grinned and returned his concentration to Niall who just stood up from his chair to shake the interviewer’s hand. With one last smile, Niall turned to the couch the three were planted on and headed towards them with a skip in his step. Louis’ grinned widened once their blue eyes met and Niall’s smile lessened to a smaller, more private one that he saved for only Louis and Harry.

His eyes twinkling, he sank to the floor once he reached the couch and Louis unthinkingly spread his legs so Niall could fit himself between them.

Niall crawled forward on his knees and rested his elbows on Louis thighs, blinking up at him.

“Hi babe,” Louis greeted, running his fingers through Niall’s hair and brushing a few strands out of his eyes. It was getting long. Niall leaned into the touch and hummed, eyes closing. There was a pleasant buzz in Louis’ stomach at the sight. “Interview go well?”

“Mmm, yeah,” said Niall drowsily. He slanted his head back as Louis scratched at his scalp, causing his hair to stand up and fill with static. Lou would’ve tutted at him had Niall not already finished his interview.

“Someone’s tired,” Harry said with a cheeky smirk, nudging Niall’s leg with his converse-clad foot as he engrossed himself in the scene before him. Niall only grunted in response and whined when Louis went to pull away. A man signaled that it was time to wrap up and head out and Harry scooted to the edge of his seat and flicked Niall’s nose. “C’mon kitten, time to go.”

Niall made a sound of protest, not unlike a child being forced to do something they didn’t want to do, and Harry rolled his eyes fondly before wrapping his arms around the petite blond and hoisting him up. Once he was standing, Harry cupped his pretty red cheeks and closed the gap between them to give the boy the lightest of kisses on his lips. Louis was able to catch the shiver that raced down Niall’s spine at the contact as he sleepily returned the sentiment, smiling into the curly-haired boy’s plump lips.

Zayn and Liam put themselves at the front of the group as they weaved in and out of various employees along the narrow halls. Louis’ hands rested on the smalls of Harry and Niall’s backs as he walked a step behind them, occasionally pressing his fingers into the ridges of their spines and caressing them through their shirts.

By the time they reached the doors, a collection of men and women alike with cameras and microphones had congregated along the path to their ride home. Louis stepped up behind Niall who’d been resting his head on Harry’s shoulder, pressing his chest to Niall’s back and running his hands up and down Niall’s sides.

He inhaled the sweet aroma of Niall’s hair at the base of his neck and he felt warm. “You okay, love?” he murmured quietly.

Niall lifted his head and relaxed into Louis’ embrace. “Hmm,” he sighed before looking over his shoulder and dazzling the older boy with a smile. “M’fine, Lou,” he assured him.

Louis pressed his lips to Niall’s temple. It wasn’t so much a kiss as it was him simply resting his lips against the soft skin there until they were given the okay to head through the doors.

As an automatic response to the loud volume that reached their ears, Harry laced his fingers with Niall’s and Louis absently rested his in the belt loops of Niall’s jeans.

The yelling and flashes of cameras didn’t really bother them anymore. It’d gotten to the point where they’d seen and heard it all so much that they found a way to block it out. But the thing they hadn’t quite gotten used to were the looks. Everyone’s eyes zeroed in on Harry and Niall’s intertwined hands and Louis’ on Niall’s hips like a magnetic pull, almost as if that’s all they came for.

At first, those prying and judgmental eyes had gotten under their skin and set them on edge because why wouldn’t they? They made Niall rub his arms because it made him feel itchy, Harry avoided eye contact, and Louis’ jaw clenched.

It wasn’t so bad now because it really didn’t matter what everyone else thought. It took a while for the three of them to gain that mentality – to build the confidence to touch one another in public and not worry about how the world viewed it. Occasionally one of them would snap if someone was really getting in their face, but if that ever happened they had the other two to hold them back before it escalated too quickly.

In essence, they kept each other grounded.

There had been a time, right when the relationship formed, that things in the band were tense. Zayn and Liam were irritated because the only press One Direction was getting was “The Strange Romance Between Members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan” and it wasn’t exactly positive press. The focus should’ve been on their music and success, nothing else, and neither Louis, Niall, or Harry blamed the other two for being angry, but it wasn’t like they were encouraging the media to put the spotlight on them.

Nevertheless, it was an obstacle they had thankfully overcome. The stories never stopped being printed (not surprising), but they at least had been toned down and everyone was more or less satisfied.

It took a while to reach their SUV because fans had spotted them and were keen on shoving one another to get as close to the boys as possible. Niall had squeaked when a girl grabbed his shirt sleeve but her grip hadn’t been tight enough to keep a hold for more than a few seconds. Louis planted a kiss right on the back of Niall’s neck before he climbed into the van behind him, thinking smugly that they could put _that_ in the papers.

The car ride to their flats was silent save for the low hum of the engine as they let themselves unwind from the day’s events.

Niall took to Harry’s shoulder again, fitting in snuggly underneath his arm as he nuzzled as close to him as possible, exhaling heavily once he was comfortable. The arm Harry had draped across Niall reached Louis and long fingers stroked through his hair, nearly lulling him to sleep. One of Louis’ own hands rested on Niall’s thigh, tracing the seam on the inside of his pants leg.

It was a conundrum for them to be sitting so close and _not_ be touching one another in some way. Even in a large room they sort of gravitated to each other after being apart for so long.

Louis never thought he would depend on one person so much, let alone two. He didn’t want to depend on anyone – didn’t want to _have_ to depend on anyone. But with them it was easy. He didn’t feel smothered, he didn’t feel alone. He felt right at home.

He loved Liam and Zayn. They were two of his closest friends. But with Harry and Niall, it was different and it always had been. It was the way Niall looked at him. It was the way Harry looked at him. In their eyes, it was like he hung the moon and the stars. He didn’t need anyone to tell him that, he already knew. With them, he felt wanted. Needed. They looked at him and he was wonderful.

And he was sure they felt the exact same way.

Louis was pulled out of his trance when the car shuddered to a stop. Liam slapped Zayn awake who snorted and blinked rapidly, trying to adjust after being woken so suddenly. He licked his lips and squinted at Liam who had a shit-eating grin on his face and he slapped him back with a half-hearted glare before rubbing his face and unbuckling his seatbelt, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ‘wanker’.

Chuckling to himself, Louis looked to his left to see both his boys sound asleep. Rather than scaring the piss out of them, he chose a more elegant tactic and instead shook them gently until they were yawning and stretching, lanky limbs kicking Liam who was trying to slide out of the car.

They shuffled their way out of the car behind Liam after bidding the driver a good day. Louis felt a pinch on his bum as his feet touched the ground and he started, quickly turning to see Niall biting his lip.

“You little minx,” Louis teased. Niall just shrugged, a lazy grin working its way onto his face and he came to stand next to him. Harry slammed the door behind him, the driver hollering his muffled disapproval from inside and Niall cackled.

The cool air bit at their exposed cheeks and the five made a quick dash for the building that accommodated their flats after exchanging brief goodbyes.

The three of them knocked into one another, butting shoulders and walking in slanted lines into each other’s space as they made their way to their door. Harry took the key to their flat out of his pocket and unlocked the door, leading the way into their cozy abode with Niall still half asleep and Louis’ hands on his shoulders to guide him.

He dropped the key into what Louis called the designed key bowl by the door. “Who’s hungry?” Harry called over his shoulder, rather redundantly as Niall was first to answer.

“Me,” the blonde called drowsily, raising an arm as he dragged his feet across the carpet.

Louis tugged off his shirt, tossing it on the floor that Harry would probably berate him for later. He changed into a pair of pajama pants that were lying close to where the shirt was discarded. He left his jeans and shoes there as well, telling himself he’d pick them up later.

“What do you want?”

“Grilled cheese, please,” Niall answered cutely. Harry smiled affectionately and made his way into the kitchen, presumably to make the grilled cheese. Louis was left to fend for himself as Niall also disappeared into their bedroom. He felt a sense of déjà vu, except last time Niall accidentally fell asleep after changing and Harry yelled at him for letting the food he made go to waste.

Louis ambled his way after Harry, hearing his whistling echoing from the living room as he worked on Niall’s sandwich plus another. He grinned after realizing that Harry was probably making him one as well since he had the tendency to steal some of Niall’s who threw a grumpy face at anyone who took his food.

He crept up behind the Cheshire lad, casually resting his chin on Harry’s shoulder who wasn’t even fazed by the sudden contact. It was nice having a boyfriend that was taller than him because while he enjoyed how small Niall was, it felt good to have someone he could slot right up to and fit perfectly into all their nooks and crevices.

After he was granted with Harry’s dimpled smile, he felt compelled to speak. “How are you?” he asked, moving with Harry as he grabbed a few slices of cheese to sit on the warm, freshly crisp toast.

“Brilliant,” Harry answered, slapping the other pieces of toast on top of the melting cheese. “And you, sweetcheeks?”

Louis smiled wildly and lifted his head to bite Harry’s shoulder, leaving teeth marks in the fabric of his shirt. “Good,” he answered after.

“I smell food,” a voice came from the doorway. Still leaning against Harry’s back and pressing into the muscles there with his palms, Louis turned to see Niall looking properly mussed and tired with his sweatpants resting low on his delicate hips and pale chest exposed. Louis hummed at the sight, pushing tighter against Harry’s back.

“Come and get it,” said Harry, waving a plate in the air before sitting it down on the counter. Niall’s bare feet slid across the tiled floor, probably cold, and he took the plate with a hungry look in his eye. Harry turned his head a bit to watch the blonde and Louis saw him quirk an eyebrow. “I see you didn’t fall asleep.”

“Almost did,” Niall answered through a mouthful before leaving the two of them to their own devices. A few seconds later the click of the TV was heard followed by dull murmuring. Louis finally pulled away, instantly feeling a draft where that delicious body heat once was, and moved to stand next to Harry instead who was getting a knife out of the drawer.

“What are you gonna eat, Haz?”

He then watched as Harry cut the sandwich diagonally and sat each side on a plate and handed one to Louis, “Bon appétit.”

“You’re so good to me,” Louis exaggeratedly put a hand to his chest and Harry mimicked him mockingly before leaning down for a kiss and dishing out a sarcastic _you’re welcome_.

The two eventually made their way into the living area of the flat, seeing Niall curled up in the middle of the couch as if waiting for them to fill the void on either side.

They situated themselves right where Niall wanted them – snuggled right up to him and leaving no elbow room – and he looked a bit more alert now that they were there.

“I say we watch a movie,” Louis stated and began browsing through the movie channels before anyone could protest. Not much was on given it was a Tuesday evening but they mutually settled on something and let it play.

Their paper plates full of crumbs and dried remnants of melted cheese were thrown carelessly onto the coffee table in front of them before getting comfortably twisted in one another’s limbs, Niall leaning against Louis’ chest with his legs intertwined in Harry’s. Someone’s fingertips were stroking his exposed hipbone, most likely without even realizing they were doing it, but he had no idea whose. 

—

Later that night when Harry’s eyes were glassy and red-rimmed, Niall was yawning every few minutes with no hope of letting up, and Louis had a cramp in his neck from resting it at an awkward angle as he dozed, they retired to their room.

In nothing but their pants, the three boys crawled into their queen-sized bed that was unnecessarily spacious since they preferred lying on top of one another instead. As per usual, Niall was cuddled in the middle of the pile, Harry spooning him cozily from behind and ghosting his lips over Niall’s snow-white shoulder.

Louis pulled his face close to his, first kissing his forehead and then trailing slowly downward to his lips. Their fingers then intertwined, tan brown contrasting prettily with pale white.

“Good night,” Niall whispered to the both of them, and they hummed in reply because nothing really needed to be said. He settled into his pillow and closed his eyes, feeling Harry’s arms tighten around him and Louis’ warm breath on his face.

In the morning he’d wake up to find two sets of legs tangled in his own, rendering him clueless as to where one ended and the other began, and two warm bodies cuddled up to his chest. He’d be nearly sweating from the body heat, damp hair matted to his brow, but he would still smile fondly as he glanced sleepily down at the two angels he was lucky enough to call his.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
